Development of a Measuring System to Detect Loads Acting Between the Binding and the Roller Ski

Abstract

Existing roller ski measuring systems are capable to detect forces between a roller ski and the binding. However, none of them is capable to detect torques. Comprehensive load data is needed for the analysis and improvement of the cross-country skiing technique as well as it is essential for roller ski and binding manufacturers. Currently, no specific standard is available for the dimensioning and testing of roller ski bindings.

With use of cross inventions, a solution was found how to determine spatial forces and torques between a roller ski and the binding without changing their setup and disturbing the perfor-mance of the athlete as little as possible. The system can be used for almost all situations during in-situ testing on the road. For the development of the measuring system the SPALTEN meth-odology by Albers et al. was employed in combination with a set-based approach to achieve an optimal solution.

Strain gauge rosettes mounted at the beam of a commercially available roller ski are used to measure the strain induced by the multiaxial stress state. A lightweight solution based on low cost components was developed for the acquisition of the strain signal. With the recorded strain data, the principal stresses and their directions are calculated. Consecutively, the spatial forces and torques are deduced.